I recently read that in 2050 there will be more people worldwide aged sixty and over than children under sixteen for the first time in history. Longer life spans are on the increase; however, most people are simply living their elder years in poor health, often medicated, rather than living with vitality and joy. I have personal experience of how health pans out in the elderly as my mother is 88 years old and has Alzheimer's disease. |
She was diagnosed six years ago after my father passed away. She lives alone at the moment but has help from Age UK (the UK’s largest aged-care charity) who send carers in at least twice a day. Mum also goes to their day centre, picked up by their bus, where she has some social interaction and gets a hot meal. Age UK are doing a great job, but they are very stretched especially in winter when there is a huge demand on their services.
Loneliness is a huge problem in the elderly as many have lost partners and their family may live far away. Many are experiencing declining health without any support or respect from close family members.
Mary Robinson (UK Member of Parliament) comments, 'It is a sad irony at a time when the world has more older people than everbefore, living longer with even greater wisdom and experience to offer that they are often not respected as they have been in the past’.1(Elders Group 2007)
I recently went to the Age UK centre to visit my Mum and the manager told me there were twelve carers absent due to a virus. The activity that day was Bingo, which they were participating in half-heartedly in groups around tables. A few people sat by themselves and one man was asleep in a chair. Most of these people live alone and this is their family (in a way), as they see each other every day.
There didn’t appear to be any quality in the way they were living.
We are all getting older, there is no escaping it, so do we just want to exist or do we want to live longer with quality?
About six years ago when I went to my first presentation by Serge Benhayon of Universal Medicine I saw that there was another way to live, a way of respecting each other and who we are.
The Way of the Livingness that is presented comes from the Ageless Wisdom and is a way to live, which is all encompassing – simple ways to live healthily and in harmony with all. It means living as the ‘trueyou’ and taking care of yourself, for example in the way you eat, exercise, sleep, and relate to yourself and others.
When we start to take care of ourselves we learn to live from our inner-most out rather than from the outside in. We deepen our appreciation by nurturing and valuing our bodies, our health and our well-being. This then takes us into our elder years with more vitality and purpose. I have met many elders, including some in their eighties, who are bucking the trend of current health norms, and are living joyfully in good health and well-being.
I know now that we have a choice in how to live and the choice to age well is in our hands. Is it time to take responsibilityfor our own health and well-being, and live in ways that honour and nurture ourselves?
Sue G., UK
You may also like to read: What is True Health & Wellbeing
Loneliness is a huge problem in the elderly as many have lost partners and their family may live far away. Many are experiencing declining health without any support or respect from close family members.
Mary Robinson (UK Member of Parliament) comments, 'It is a sad irony at a time when the world has more older people than everbefore, living longer with even greater wisdom and experience to offer that they are often not respected as they have been in the past’.1(Elders Group 2007)
I recently went to the Age UK centre to visit my Mum and the manager told me there were twelve carers absent due to a virus. The activity that day was Bingo, which they were participating in half-heartedly in groups around tables. A few people sat by themselves and one man was asleep in a chair. Most of these people live alone and this is their family (in a way), as they see each other every day.
There didn’t appear to be any quality in the way they were living.
We are all getting older, there is no escaping it, so do we just want to exist or do we want to live longer with quality?
About six years ago when I went to my first presentation by Serge Benhayon of Universal Medicine I saw that there was another way to live, a way of respecting each other and who we are.
The Way of the Livingness that is presented comes from the Ageless Wisdom and is a way to live, which is all encompassing – simple ways to live healthily and in harmony with all. It means living as the ‘trueyou’ and taking care of yourself, for example in the way you eat, exercise, sleep, and relate to yourself and others.
When we start to take care of ourselves we learn to live from our inner-most out rather than from the outside in. We deepen our appreciation by nurturing and valuing our bodies, our health and our well-being. This then takes us into our elder years with more vitality and purpose. I have met many elders, including some in their eighties, who are bucking the trend of current health norms, and are living joyfully in good health and well-being.
I know now that we have a choice in how to live and the choice to age well is in our hands. Is it time to take responsibilityfor our own health and well-being, and live in ways that honour and nurture ourselves?
Sue G., UK
You may also like to read: What is True Health & Wellbeing